Friday, October 14, 2005

Not a good week in Bush World this week. I'm trying to tamp down the schadenfreude, but it is certainly difficult and the newspapers this morning are not making it any easier. Let's review, shall we?

Today, Karl Rove testifies for the fourth time before Patrick Fitzgerald's special grand jury. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post feature front page articles this morning on how jittery the Preznit's staff has become -- and how terrifying our boy Fitz truly is. It is worth a mention here that only yesterday morning on the Today Show, the President himself said that Fitzgerald was conducting himself in a "dignified manner" during this investigation (take that Toensing) -- makes one wonder how true all the rumors are that he's more than ready to throw Rove under the bus, doesn't it? (See Jane's post below for more details.)The NYTimes article does a good job of capturing what the mood in the WH has been, and I can't help but smile at the image of Rove and Libby "squirming" under Patrick Fitzgerald's direct gaze.

But the inquiry has swept up a dozen or more other officials who have been questioned by investigators or have testified before the grand jury, and, should it lead to the indictment of anyone at a senior level, it has the potential to upend the professional lives of everyone at the White House for the remainder of Mr. Bush's second term.

The WaPo article piles on from there, detailing the vast array of scandals, legal troubles, cronyism worries and failed governmental efforts that have hit the Bush Administration and the GOP in Congress broadside in the past few months. (There goes that schadenfreude again...)

"It looks like a perfect storm," said Joseph E. diGenova, a Republican and former independent counsel, who noted that so many investigations can weigh on an administration. "People have no idea what happens when an investigation gets underway. It's debilitating. It's not just distracting. It's debilitating. It's like getting punched in the stomach.".

And just when you think it can't get any worse, Jack Abramoff and the far-reaching probe into his political dealings on the Hill rears up again.

Maybe its karma, coming back to bite these people in the butt for all their dirty tricks and greedy power grabs. For the whole smearing of McCain in South Carolina in 2000. For terriifying people in this country for weeks with false claims of "mushroom clouds." Some sort of Shakespearian ending for all the hubris and ego and nastiness over the years.

Come to think of it, with all my schadenfreude these days, maybe I ought to go and volunteer somewhere and build up some good karma. Just in case.

(Photo credit to Larry Downing at Rueters for the "What You Talking About, Willis?" pix above. Really good one! Hat tip to Wonkette for the pix.)